Please be aware that anyone CURRENTLY offering to assist immigrants in applying for deferred action PRIOR to Auguat 15, 2012, are likely scammers. There is NO method for applying for deferred action available at this time and NO ONE can assist immigrants in the application process UNTIL the process and instructions become available on August 15, 2012. Please be cautious.

You are welcome to call our office for more information on deferred action, but we will be unable to directly assist you with the application process UNTIL AUGUST 15, 2012.

Individuals located oustide of the United States who are filing I-601 Waivers, I-212 Applications or I-290B Notices should NO LONGER file at their foreign location, but instead should file requests DIRECTLY TO USCIS by mailing the application to a USCIS Lockbox facility in the US.

For more information on this new procedure and how to complete it, please see:

The Ninth Circuit held on Wednesday that, contrary to current practice, the Department of Homeland Security may not terminate asylum status. This power is granted exclusively to the Attorney General. This means that any asylum officer's determination as to fraud will not be the end of the line, but instead will have to be reviewed by the Attorney General.

Trying to figure out whether Obama's new immigration policy applies to you? Check out this helpful breakdown from Immigration Impact or this Q&A Guide from Immigration Policy Center for details. If you have more questions or want to move forward with seeking deferred action, please call us today.

President Obama announced this morning that his adminstration will allow certain qualified undocumented persons to obtain "deferred action" for two years, with possible extensions, along with work authorization. The policy, which takes immediate effect, applies to children and adults under thirty years of age, who entered the United States before sixteen years of age, and have lived here continuously for at least five years. Eligibility also requires persons to have no criminal records and to have earned a high school diploma or GED, served in the military or to be attending school currently. Eligible undocumented persons may apply for two year "deferred action" (freedom from deportation), with the possibility of extensions. If the deferral is approved, the persons may then apply for work authorization which in turn, if approved, allows them to obtain a driver's license. This Policy comes after Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act, an immigration reform bill targeting relief for undocumented students.

The Law Offices of Haitham E. Ballout salute President Obama for this important step forward and eagerly anticipate further positive steps for the deserving immigrant community we serve. If you have any questions about whether this new policy applies to you or your family, please contact our offices.

Would you have guessed that Canada and Australia both have a higher percentage of foreign-born citizens than the U.S.? In fact, in this respect, America--which once led the world--increasingly looks like many other Western countries. France, Germany and the U.K. have only slightly fewer foreign-born residents than America (as a percentage of the population). And some of these countries have managed to take in immigrants mostly based on their skills, giving a big boost to their economies.